Autumn Kissed
by alyseci5
Summary: Many of Kahlan's smiles are for Richard, and some Richard and Cara share. But some of them are for Cara alone, and those she hoards, holding them somewhere deep inside her, somewhere that was once hollow and empty, but which is growing less so day by day.


**Characters/Pairing:** Cara/Kahlan (implied Cara/Kahlan/Richard)

**Spoilers:** Set post season 2

**Disclaimer:** Legend of the Seeker (TV) belongs to ABC Studios/Disney. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fanfiction, written solely for love of the show.

**Author's Notes:** Written for trobadora's prompt request of 'Cara/Kahlan, kissing', which I used for my kissbingo** card** square 'experimental: fruit'. Thanks go to for the beta.

-o-

The autumn air is crisp and clear when Cara wakes, and she takes a moment to stretch out, feeling her muscles pop and settle after a night on the cold ground.

There's a blanket pooled over her. Normally she doesn't bother with luxuries like that - her leathers are warmth enough for her - so that can only mean that Richard or Kahlan decided to play mother in the middle of the night. The fact that they chose to do that - as though she needs coddling - doesn't bother her as much as the fact that she neither heard nor felt them; either she's growing less cautious or they're growing sneaky, and she's not sure which of those options she should be more worried about.

She opens her eyes and stares up into the morning sky. The leaves overheard are starting to turn golden, and there's a snap to the air that's been growing steadily more noticeable over the last seven days or so, but the sun is still bright in the sky and there's no sign of rain. She's survived worse then the odd autumn, or even winter, storm, but she has to admit that she wouldn't mind if the weather held off another few weeks until they'd made their way back to Aydindril.

And there's a city she never thought she'd be welcome in.

When she rolls over towards the fire, Kahlan is seated by it, combing out her hair. She looks up at the rustle of the leaves and her expression brightens, a small, quiet smile forming on her face. Cara has started cataloguing them in her mind, all of Kahlan's smiles. Once she thought she knew them all, growing more familiar with each one the longer that Richard's quest took and the more that Kahlan warmed to her, just as she slowly began to warm to Kahlan (which is something that she will not, except under pain of death, admit to). But Kahlan and she have grown even closer in the weeks and months since Richard finally succeeded in his quest for the Stone of Tears and sealed the rift, and now Cara finds that there are more smiles in Kahlan's arsenal than even she had appreciated.

Many of them are for Richard - the quiet ones, the ones that speak of a deep, inner happiness that is still a little foreign to Cara - and some of them Richard and Cara share. But some of them are for Cara alone, and those she hoards, holding them somewhere deep inside her, somewhere that was once hollow and empty, but which is growing less so day by day.

"Good morning." Kahlan's voice is still blurred by sleep and her smile is softened by it. There are tangles in her long, dark hair and Cara's fingers twitch impatiently with the need to take the brush from her and smooth her fingers through Kahlan's hair instead of Kahlan's own. She used to do that for her Mord-Sith sisters, and Kahlan is so much more, now, than they were. "Did you sleep well?"

Cara grunts, because, really, what kind of question is that? Kahlan knows how she slept, because Kahlan slept half the night beside her, at least when it was Richard's turn to keep watch. Just as Kahlan slept next to Richard when it was Cara's turn, and Cara and Richard slept side by side when it was Kahlan's. "Where's Richard?" Cara asks instead, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. There's no sign of him near the camp, but for all Cara knows, he could have been up for hours and be off, right now, doing woodsy stuff. She doesn't understand the attraction, but she's learnt better to argue with Richard, at least about some things.

"He thought he heard some pheasant," Kahlan explains, turning her attention back to smoothing out the tangles from her hair, and Cara's fingers twitch again with the need to take over from her, to reach out and touch. "He found some blackberries this morning. They're a little early in the season..." Kahlan shrugs, her expression soft and content, and Cara would lay odds that picking blackberries wasn't the only thing that Richard and Kahlan were doing in the bushes this morning. It's been a long time since Cara has felt jealous of the love between Kahlan and Richard, not when there's no longer any reason for jealousy.

Kahlan's fingertips are stained purple at the tips, and Cara rolls her eyes, not missing Kahlan's little laugh when she catches Cara looking. "Are there going to be any blackberries left by the time Richard gets back?" Cara asks, and if her voice is a little challenging, well, Kahlan is used to her by now; she never takes offence.

This time, Kahlan's smile takes on another colour, one that pricks at Cara's interest. She knows this smile as well, and is growing to know it better. It's sly and full of mischief, knowing and dirty, all the things that Cara had never thought Kahlan capable of feeling, or showing. But Cara's learning that there are still mysteries within Kahlan that she has not yet explored, hidden truths and deep, dark places; exploring them is something that Cara intends to correct as soon as possible and at great length.

She saunters over to the fire, rubbing her hands together before holding them out to the warmth. The move is nonchalant, but Kahlan's eyes still gleam knowingly, as though she's amused both by Cara's antics and Cara's obviousness. When she catches Cara looking this time, Kahlan's smile takes on a different kind of warmth, one that rivals the fire and has the power to stop Cara's breath in her throat. It has nothing to do with the normal reaction of a Mord-Sith to a Confessor, and everything to do with Cara's reaction to Kahlan.

"Would you like a blackberry, Cara?" Kahlan asks, and her tone is playful, full of all those little harmonies that Cara is starting to recognise. There's affection in Kahlan's voice, and a note of teasing, but there is also hope and the siren song of desire. When Kahlan proffers the small bowl of black fruit to her, Cara simply watches her, struck momentarily dumb by the morning sun glinting off Kahlan's sleek, dark hair. Kahlan smiles again, just as sleek but this time mysterious with it.

Cara hesitates just a moment too long, and Kahlan pulls the bowl back towards herself, her mouth settling into a little moue of disappointment. Cara isn't fooled though, not when Kahlan's eyes are dancing merrily above her pout. Perhaps Cara shows too much of that on her face, because - with Cara still watching her like a hawk, or some other creature who is fierce and free - Kahlan fishes out one of the small fruits and pops it into her mouth, her eyes drifting closed in sheer pleasure as the berry bursts against her tongue.

Kahlan's lips are faintly stained with purple, just like her fingertips, and Cara is captured by the sight. Cara's fingers twitch again, but this time with the need to slide into Kahlan's hair and pull her closer, not to comb it.

Cara has never been one to hold back when she wanted something, and she wants something now.

Kahlan's mouth is soft against hers, and Cara can still taste the sweetness of blackberries on Kahlan's lips. But that is not the sweetness that Cara seeks, and she slides her fingers more deeply into Kahlan's hair, pulling Kahlan's head back as her tongue slips into Kahlan's mouth.

Kahlan lets out a sound, soft and eager, her fingers sliding up Cara's arms, scratching lightly at Cara's leathers. Her tongue is just as eager, sliding along Cara's as she pulls Cara closer and closer until it takes all of Cara's strength to stay upright.

When she pulls back, panting for breath, Kahlan's hair is mussed and her lips are swollen, painted pink with desire rather than with the purple of berry juice. Kahlan's tongue darts out of her mouth as Cara watches, sliding over her lips, and Cara knows that it's not the taste of berries that lingers on Kahlan's mouth this time, but the taste of Cara herself.

She allows herself a small, satisfied smile. When Kahlan sees it, she laughs again, giddy and breathless, and then she tilts her head, her attention caught by some sound that Cara's ears have not yet picked up. Kahlan's expression brightens further as she says, "I think that's Richard coming back with breakfast."

"Good," Cara purrs, not bothering to hide what she's feeling, the desire that kissing Kahlan has brought to the surface or the appetite that the taste of Kahlan on her tongue has aroused. "It's about time he showed up instead of making us wait on him.

"I'm **starving**."

The End


End file.
